1. Field
Embodiments relate to image processing, and more particularly, to an apparatus, method, and medium for creating a panoramic image by stitching a plurality of images taken in different directions.
2. Description of the Related Art
A panoramic image is a series of images taken in different directions and stitched in a predetermined manner. Such a panoramic image provides a wide field of view (FOV) of a scene compared to an image captured in one direction. Thus, a more accurate extended view of a scene can be provided.
Images having overlapped sections are captured for making a panoramic image. In detail, in a series of images taken for a panoramic image, a trailing side of a previously captured image is ideally identical with a leading side of a currently captured image. The overlapped sections of images are sections of the images taken of the same portion of a scene, and a more realistic panoramic image can be obtained when the images are stitched with the overlapped sections of the images being precisely aligned.
In a conventional apparatus for generating a panoramic image, a series of images are stitched after adjusting the positions of the images to make the colors of overlapped (identical) sections of the images to be as consistent with each other as possible.
Although it is preferable that the colors of overlapped sections of images taken from the same portion of a scene (object) be identical, the colors of the overlapped sections can be different due to various reasons. For example, the colors of overlapped sections of images can be different due to different camera settings such as exposure time and lighting.
When the colors of overlapped sections of images are not identical, it is difficult to precisely align the overlapped sections of the images using a conventional panoramic image generating apparatus. That is, there is a limit to generating an accurate panoramic image using the conventional panoramic image generating apparatus.